Collision Course (Class 5, #6)

Chapter 46

Rose took a sip of her grinabo and closed her eyes in enjoyment. “Do you know the Fisone don’t drink hot drinks?”

“The barbarians.” Sazo’s voice was dry.

Rose smiled. He was working on his wit. “Well, they are. Hot drinks are a sign of advanced civilization.”

“Actually, that’s true.” Kila knocked softly on the open door and stepped in. “I’ve read numerous papers on it.”

Rose gauged Kila’s demeanor. “I’m surprised to see you. I thought you would be too busy being enraptured by not one, but two, new civilizations. Although, the Fisone’s status is clearly questionable.”

Kila made a face at her.

They were edging toward friendship now, after many months of being very wary of each other.

“It’s true that I have a wealth of interesting work to keep me occupied, but I can’t actually speak to anyone until the UC gets here, in case I overstep.” Kila sat down and threaded her fingers together.

“So you want me to . . .?” Rose lifted her hands. “What?”

“Give me what you can. It’ll help when the UC get here, and I’ll feel better having your impressions in advance.” Kila looked at the med equipment around her. “If you’re able.”

“Hri just finished my tests. She’s gone off to do something in the lab. I’m just drinking my grinabo and having a rest.”

Kila winced and began to rise. “I can come back . . .”

Rose grinned. “Sit down. I’m fine.”

Kila shot her a look and sat. “Can we trust either group?”

Rose thought it about it. “I’d say we could more likely trust the Hasmarga. They haven’t lied to me so far, that I know of, and they helped me a lot.”

“That’s what Dav says.” Kila nodded. “And the Fisone?”

Rose lifted her shoulders. “I don’t want to damn a whole population by the actions of the few I dealt with, but they never kept their word when it suited them to do otherwise, and they certainly never helped me. They put me in a bad situation, and then they progressively made it worse.”

“They claim most of the trouble was caused by the thinking system Pyre.” Kila must have suddenly remembered Sazo was listening in, and kept her eyes on her tablet.

“That’s a lie. Pyre had nothing to do with my abduction. And she actually helped me in the beginning. Maybe even saved me. Then, I admit, she began to play a bigger role in the trouble I found myself in, but if the Fisone had honored their word, I’d have been back here days ago. And Gerna’s babies would be alive.” Rose still couldn’t get the sight of the little bodies being carried into the runner out of her head. The Fisone would have to atone for that. Gerna wouldn’t have even been on the Havelan without their actions.

“You’re done with the test?” Dav stepped into the room, then blinked at the sight of Kila.

“Just here getting her impressions on both groups,” Kila said, getting to her feet.

Dav studied her for a beat, then turned back to Rose. “It seems lots of people want your input. The Fisone are hailing and so are the Hasmarga. Both groups want you in the room for whatever discussions we have.”

Rose had heard the Fisone had wanted that, but the Hasmarga asking for her was new. She stood. “I thought the Hasmarga had gone back to Dimal to look for Ecdre and the others.”

“They’ve just returned.” Dav held out his hand.

“I hope the news is good. I’m happy to speak to them.” Rose let Dav help her up.

“You’re sure you’re rested enough?” Dav asked. “We can make them wait.”

“No. The Hasmarga deserve my attention. I don’t mind making the Fisone wait.” Rose wondered why she was such an important component of the discussions. She hadn’t felt particularly influential when she was down on Dimal.

When she got to the bridge, she realized the walk felt good, and maybe when she was done here, she’d walk the track. She was desperate to go back home to Sazo’s ship, but if her contractions started, she’d just have to come back.

“Ready?” Dav had managed to stop himself hovering on the way over, and Kila had eyed her with a touch of nerves.

She nodded. Dav had told Borji she was coming, so it was no surprise to find Gerna onscreen as soon as she sat in Dav’s captain’s chair.

“You are well?” Gerna asked.

“Yes. And you?” Rose thought Gerna did look better. The sheen of her carapace was back, and she was wearing a sleek jacket and pants. A long way from the rags on Dimal.

“I am happy to tell you that Ecdre has been found alive, but unconscious. He and the others are in our med bay now.”

“That is . . .” Rose realized she was fighting tears. “That is amazing news, Gerna. I am so glad.”

“Thank you. I am sorry to hail you when I know you are busy with the birth of your child, but there are things I don’t remember, or wasn’t in a fit state to understand when we reached the Havelan . I need you to tell me what happened.”

“We landed in the Havelan’s launch bay, and you told me your time was near, and that you needed a private room as fast as possible.” Rose recalled her panic in that moment. “When Crythis opened the ship up, I told her she needed to arrange one, but when you took your first step toward the ramp, you sank down and said your time was up. So I asked you if giving you the ship would be all right, and you said yes, so they raised the ramp.”

“And what happened with you?” Gerna had been nodding slowly as she recounted the events.

“Crythis took our helmets and led us to a small room and left four guards to make sure we didn’t leave. She went to fetch the captain.” Rose had been close to exhaustion at that point. She understood why Gerna wanted another view of what had happened. It was hard to understand everything when you were so vulnerable and tired. She hadn’t even understood why the helmets were taken at first.

“What were they planning to do with us?” Gerna asked.

“They were planning to negotiate with my people for my return. The captain was confused as to how you came to be with us. How you were even there. She did not want to believe it when we told her you had been held as a prisoner on Dimal.”

“How could she not know?” Gerna asked.

“She said she hadn’t heard anything about Hasmarga being taken prisoners and used as slave labor. She went off to confirm what we were saying,” Rose said.

“And did she get confirmation?” Gerna leaned forward.

Rose shook her head. “She never returned. A siren began sounding, and Crythis left, then returned and asked me to accompany her to the launch bay, because something was happening with you inside the ship.”

“Ah. That was when the young lives became panicked.” Gerna nodded. “You were there?”

“Dav and I were both there, under armed guard. Crythis thought I could speak to you and find out what was happening, but before we even got inside the launch bay the young lives broke free. In a panic, Crythis tried to close the door, but the babies got there in time to block it, and then they broke through. The Fisone reacted in panic and began shooting. Dav and I took cover. When the chaos was over, we went back into the launch bay to check on you.”

“I remember that. I remember you coming and helping me down.” Gerna sounded like she was a million miles away in her thoughts.

“Do you need me to tell you what happened after the guards in the comm station shot you?” Rose asked.

“I do.” Gerna rubbed her hands together, dipping her head as she did it. “Do I thank you for the cushions?”

Rose smiled. “Yes. What happened was you were shot, and as Dav and I came to crouch next to you, Captain Priyan stepped out of the room and demanded we go and check the engine room, and see why the engines had stopped working.”

“Why had they?” she asked.

“The young lives had chewed through all the tech.” Rose heard the satisfaction in her own voice. “Dav said no. We needed to reach our people and yours, and call for help. So Priyan shot you again. She said if we didn’t check the engine room, she’d keep doing it, and you probably wouldn’t survive.”

“So Dav went?” Gerna asked.

“He went, I stayed with you, made them get the cushions. Then Priyan heard some of your babies coming and locked herself in the room.” That was a turning point where it could all have ended, if Pyre hadn’t decided to intervene.

“And after that? The cold? The poison air? The locking Dav out of the ship?” Gerna frowned.

“Pyre.” Rose lifted her shoulders. “She wanted to control the Havelan and she wanted it to be undamaged so she would be more powerful.”

“She’s still on that ship?” Gerna asked. “And the captain?”

“I don’t know if the Kimol have gotten them off, but yes, Pyre is still on there, I’m sure.” And she would be trying her best to integrate with the ship.

“You would agree that I was more harmed on the Havelan than you were?” Gerna’s tone was urgent.

“There is no question. You were definitely more harmed than I was.” Rose didn’t really understand why she was asking that, but it was the truth.

“Thank you.” Gerna turned away and the feed cut out.

“What was that about?” Jia asked.

“I think the Hasmarga are about to shoot the Havelan ,” Sazo said. “Their weapons have gone hot.”

Borji flicked the screen to a view of the Havelan , and moments later the Hasmarga fired. One minute the Kimol ship floated, silver and serene, the next, it was space rubble.

Rose couldn’t help the gasp that escaped her.

“The Bandri and the Kimol are both hailing us,” Borji said. “Loudly.”

“Put them both onscreen,” Dav said. “Sazo can you translate? It’ll be quicker if they don’t go through their own translators.”

“Yes.” Sazo’s voice was soft. Rose wondered if he was thinking of Pyre. Of what might have been, if circumstances had been different.

The screen winked on, and two groups were shown side by side.

“Was this a joint strike between you?” The man who asked the question was unfamiliar to Rose. He was in uniform, and was flanked by others in similar uniforms.

“No, Commander Utwick, the Hasmarga decided to do that on their own,” Dav said.

“Why did they strike our ship?” A man from the other group asked the question. This was a Fisone Rose had never seen before, either.

“I never caught your name the first time we spoke,” Dav said, and from the way he widened his stance, and his tone, Rose realized Dav really hated this man.

“Commander Phol. Head of Kimol operations on Dimal.” The man drew himself up. “And you are?”

“Captain Dav Jallan of the Barrist .” Dav adjusted his stance again. “The last time we spoke, you threatened to harm Rose.”

Finally, Rose noticed Sartie standing to Phol’s side. This was the senior command in the Kimol bunker.

“You were threatening to attack Fisone.” Phol’s lip lifted in a sneer. “We are demanding recompense for the attack on our ship and for the devastation you caused on Dimal.”

Dav looked over at Borji. “Cut the Kimol’s feed.”

Borji did it. Only the Bandri were left.

“I assume this means the line of communication is still open between us?” Utwick asked.

“It is.” Dav didn’t look that happy about it. “You are the lesser of two evils, Utwick. You weren’t involved in the forced labor of the Hasmarga, and while you didn’t treat Rose well, your people did help us. I can honestly say we won’t deal with slavers, that’s United Coalition policy, so it’s you or no one.”

“Is that Rose?” Utwick’s gaze fixed on her.

Rose got to her feet, saw Utwick’s discomfort at the sight of her pregnant form. “Yes, I’m Rose.”

He gestured. “You’re not like the rest of your people?”

“I am from another place. But I’ve made my home with the Grih.”

Utwick cleared his throat. “I want to offer my sincere regrets if any of my people treated you with less than respect. We did not understand the situation, and some might have behaved in a more aggressive manner than necessary.”

It was the first apology she’d gotten, and she realized it soothed something inside her to hear it. “Thank you for that.” She wasn’t ready to forgive, but she wasn’t feeling as vengeful as she had been. “I’d love to know what issue these people have with pregnancy,” Rose murmured in English.

“I’ll find out for you, if you like?” Sazo offered.

Rose nodded. “What about Pyre? Could she have survived that?”

“I don’t think so,” Sazo said. “I’ve scanned the rubble, and there’s no sign of any signal.”

“It’s a crying shame,” Rose said, and fought back tears. And it was. It was such a terrible waste, and it could have ended so differently.

“The Hasmarga have left,” Sazo said. “If my calculations are correct, they’ve headed back to Dimal.”

“Do you think they’ve got more destruction in mind?” Rose asked. She used English, because it was possible the Bandri had heard enough Grih to have a way to translate it.

“Perhaps. The Kimol spoke to them after Dav cut them off. They were demanding an explanation for the destruction of the Havelan .”

“Commander Utwick.” Rose took a step forward. “I would advise you to move all your people away from the Kimol bunker. Immediately.”

Utwick’s mouth snapped shut. “That’s where the Hasmarga just went?”

“I think so. Apparently the Kimol hailed them after Captain Jallan cut them off. I don’t think the Hasmarga liked their tone.” And from the look on his face, neither had Dav.

“There will be no talking them out of an attack?” Utwick asked. “Because their actions will hinder peace talks between our people.”

“I’m not sure they’re interested in peace talks with the Fisone.” Rose shrugged. “Your kind enslaved their people. It’s very hard to find a compromise when that line has been crossed.”

The reality seemed to hit Utwick, and he looked a little sick as he cut off the feed.

Nivan Cossi turned to her. “That is your assessment? There will be no peace between the Hasmarga and the Fisone?”

“There are babies dead. People who were enslaved.” Rose shook her head. “Would you sit down at a table with people who had done that to your own?”

“I certainly wouldn’t,” Sazo said into the silence.

His words hung in the air for a moment.

Everyone here knew he had been enslaved by the Tecran. Everyone knew he would not compromise when it came to dealing with them.

It wasn’t as if the Tecran were friends with the Grih, but they had been part of the same coalition. Still were, although now the Tecran were under a sort of supervision by the other members. Some might have not considered the crime against Sazo, as a thinking system, to be that grave.

Rose thought some might just have changed their minds.

“We will have to make sure we keep the Hasmarga in mind in our dealings with the Fisone, then,” Nivan said. “Because I would not, either.”

Suddenly, it felt like a hard band—a vice—squeezed Rose’s middle.

She bent to absorb it, and then lifted her head to find the whole bridge staring at her, eyes wide.

“It’s time?” Dav asked, suddenly beside her.

“Yes.” Rose rubbed her bump. “Good timing, kid.”